Using Git LFS with GitLab

A guide to enabling Git LFS in a GitLab repository and adding files.

Git LFS

This guide explains how to enable Git Large File Storage (LFS) in a GitLab repository, specifically for the project that can be cloned using the URL git@gitlab.com:c2platform/phx/examples/git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages.git.

Step 1: Install Git LFS

Before you can use Git LFS, you need to install it. Follow the installation instructions for your operating system from the Git LFS website.

Step 2: Clone Your Repository

Clone your repository:

git clone git@gitlab.com:c2platform/phx/examples/git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages.git
cd git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages

Step 3: Enable Git LFS

Enable Git LFS in your repository:

git lfs install
git lfs track "*.tar.gz"

Note

The second/track command creates a file .gitattributes with contents

*.tar.gz filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
Show me
(c2d) ostraaten@mpc2:~/git/gitlab/c2/phx/examples/git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages$ git lfs install
Updated Git hooks.
Git LFS initialized.
(c2d) ostraaten@mpc2:~/git/gitlab/c2/phx/examples/git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages$ git lfs track "*.tar.gz"
Tracking "*.tar.gz"
(c2d) ostraaten@mpc2:~/git/gitlab/c2/phx/examples/git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages$ cat .gitattributes
*.tar.gz filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text

Step 4: Add Your Large File

Add your large file, for instance:

wget https://archive.apache.org/dist/tomcat/tomcat-10/v10.1.23/bin/apache-tomcat-10.1.23.tar.gz
git add .gitattributes apache-tomcat-10.1.19.tar.gz

Step 5: Commit and Push Your Changes

Commit and push your changes:

git commit -m "Add Apache Tomcat tar.gz file with LFS"
git push origin main

Verification

To verify that the file is being handled correctly by Git LFS, you can run:

git lfs ls-files
Show me
(c2d) ostraaten@mpc2:~/git/gitlab/c2/phx/examples/git-lfs-and-gitlab-pages$ git lfs ls-files
c3ea69d92b * apache-tomcat-10.1.19.tar.gz

This command will display a list of files tracked by Git LFS in your repository.

By following these steps, you can efficiently manage large files using Git LFS in your GitLab repository.



Last modified August 27, 2025: phx gitlab draft C2-633 (f89fe32)